The Peter Pitter story
‘I was wondering where this voice was coming from. It was speaking in my ears. I could hear the voice.’
AT AGE 17, Peter Pitter was a youth who indulged in some things, including gambling, that some youths at his age did. One day, he was on his way to gamble in a space near a church. He said that as he was passing the church, he heard a voice say,“Young man, turn back and go into the church.”
He looked around but did not see anyone from whom the voice could have come, so he attempted to continue on his way. Then, he said he heard the voice a second time. He said he was not scared, but, “I was wondering where this voice was coming from. It was speaking in my ears. I could hear the voice.”
He turned back and went to the church, which was full of people from all over Jamaica. They were there for a convention. It was a Revivalist church with which he was familiar. Moreover, he was no stranger to church as he used to attend prior to his wayward days. Because the church was packed, he squeezed himself in until he found a small space on a bench.
It was time for the preacher to give the main message. After that, there was an altar call. He went to the altar to surrender himself. Then, he heard a commotion coming from outside. Some youths were jumping the fence over on to the church property. They found themselves among worshippers at the altar. It turned out that they were his friends, who were at the place where he was heading. The police had raided the place, and thus, the pursuit.
After the police left, the officials, who realised what had happened, requested that they submit themselves to the “true and living God”. Two of the churchmen approached Pitter to give him a special prayer because they said he had raised his hand. He contends that he was not aware that he raised his hand so it had to be divine intervention.
Pitter attended the convention for the rest of the week, at the end of which he was given a river baptism, which made him “feel light”. He is still a member of that church, the New Temple Mount Ephraim Zion Church of God, located at Fairy Hill in Portland.
He said that though he is not missing the life he lived before his baptism, he faltered three times and was disciplined. He has evolved from being usher/caretaker to being a singer, musician, preacher and healer. He has also moved from being semi-literate to full literacy.